Advance Indigenous participation in major projects • YouBetcha

Current Status

Status: In Progress

The current government has enacted legislation committing to Indigenous partnerships in major projects, marking tangible steps toward greater participation.

Background

The promise to advance Indigenous participation in major projects emerged amid growing calls for reconciliation and economic inclusion, reflecting a broader federal commitment to uphold Indigenous rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Fulfilling it would require embedding First Nations, Inuit, and Métis rights-holders into decision-making processes for infrastructure and resource developments, ensuring they benefit from equity stakes, consultations, and resource management roles. This approach aims to address historical exclusions while supporting Canada's economic goals, such as expanding trade corridors and energy infrastructure [3]. Such participation is seen as essential for sustainable development, aligning with constitutional duties to consult and accommodate Indigenous groups when projects impact their rights [3].

Evidence

The previous government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid some groundwork before the 2025 election. In April 2024, it announced measures in Budget 2024, including an Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program offering up to $5 billion to enable Indigenous communities to benefit from natural resource projects [5]. However, these remained at the planning stage without further implementation details before the change in government.

The current government, sworn in after the 2025 election with Mark Carney as Prime Minister, took office amid a push to accelerate major projects. On June 26, 2025, Parliament assented to the Building Canada Act, which explicitly commits the federal government to working in partnership with Indigenous governments and peoples, respecting rights under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [4]. The Act aims to advance national interest projects, including those fostering economic corridors and natural resource development, while ensuring Indigenous involvement [4].

Following the Act's passage, on July 17, 2025, Prime Minister Carney convened the First Nations Major Projects Summit in Gatineau, Québec, attended by over 250 First Nations leaders and representatives to discuss the Act's implementation and ways to build projects in partnership [1]. The summit focused on equity and resource management opportunities for Indigenous communities, with the government outlining new measures to support these partnerships [1].

Departmental reports from Natural Resources Canada in 2021–22 highlighted ongoing efforts in the natural resource sector, but these predate the current administration and focused on broader risk mitigation rather than specific project participation [6]. Justice Canada documents emphasize the need for distinctions-based approaches to Indigenous priorities, including in natural resources, underscoring the legislative framework for implementation [2], [3].

Infrastructure-related planning, as outlined in Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's 2025-26 Departmental Plan, includes commitments to build inclusive communities, but it does not detail specific actions on Indigenous participation in major projects beyond general climate and housing goals [8]. A backgrounder on the natural resource sector reinforces the potential for Indigenous peoples to be full partners in sustainable development, aligning with the Act's framework [3]. No further legislative or project-specific advancements have been reported as of March 8, 2026.

Assessment

The enactment of the Building Canada Act stands as a concrete step by the Carney government to integrate Indigenous rights-holders into major project development, providing a legal foundation that directly addresses the promise's core aim. By embedding commitments to partnership and rights recognition into law, the government has moved beyond rhetoric to create mechanisms for equity participation and decision-making involvement, setting a credible trajectory for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to share in Canada's building push.

Yet the work remains ongoing, with the summit's discussions signaling intent but requiring follow-through on actual project implementations to fully realize the promise. Sources show no evidence of completed outcomes where Indigenous groups are universally ensured participation across all accelerated projects, pointing to a process still unfolding rather than concluded.

This progress reflects a deliberate shift toward inclusive economic development, but sustained action will be needed to translate legislative commitments into widespread, verifiable results on the ground.